Friday, September 23, 2016

Dear friends, have you ever tasted the "Cheonggukjang" from Korea ? Last week, I was invited to have lunch at the Samcheong Dong in Seoul, we enjoyed this Cheonggukjang very much .
What is called " Cheonggukjang" ? Cheonggukjang (Korean pronunciation: [tɕʰʌŋɡuktɕ͈aŋ]) is a fermented soybean paste used in Korean cuisine. It contains whole as well as ground soybeans. It can be made in 2 to 3 days through fermentation of boiled soybeans, addingBacillus subtilis, which is usually contained in the air or in the rice straw, at about 40°C without adding salt, compared with the much longer fermentation period required fordoenjang, another, less pungent variety of Koreansoybean paste. Like many forms ofdoenjang,cheonggukjangis paste-like in texture, but also includes some whole, uncrushed soybeans.

Cheonggukjang may also be made by fermenting boiled soybeans in a warm place, pounding a portion of them, and adding salt and red chili powder.

Cheonggukjang is generally considered to be a healthy food (particularly in the winter), as it is rich in vitamins and other nutrients, though its very strong odor is not universally enjoyed. Some people have commented that this soup gives off the aroma of wet socks. Doenjang may be used to replace it by people who dislike the smell.

In 1993, odorless cheonggukjang was invented by Dr. Hyun Kyu Joo, a former professor at Kunkook University, who later obtained a patent in 1998 for a method for removing cheonggukjang's characteristic smell.

Cheonggukjang is also believed to aid in digestion. For this purpose, cheonggukjang pills are produced in South Korea.

(source: wikipedia)

This is the Cheonggukjang Jijae~~
这是清国酱汤~~

These are the ingredients that we mix it together with the rice when we eat Cheonggukjang~~
这是用来拌清国酱饭的材料~~

15th Sept 2016 ( Lunar Calendar is August 15th ) is the Thanks Giving Day in Korea, we call it " Chusok/추적". This year, my daughter is helping me for making "Songpyeon/송편/松糕“ too。I think now is the time for me "to retire" ^-^, she can make far better than me ,share with you the Songpyeon makes by my daughter......

" Chusok/추석/秋夕" or Korean Thanksgiving Day, one of the biggest national holidays of the year。 For centuries, it has been common to see an entire Korean family sitting around kneading " songpyeon"( a form of tteok or rice cake) while chatting happily,just one or two days before celebrating this holiday.

"Songpyeon/송편/松糕“ is a stuffed "tteok". Depending on the region, some places use potato or sweet potato starch to make songpyeon instead of rice grains. the ingredients used to stuff the songpyeon also vary from family to family. Some put red beans,chestnut,jujube or sesame seeds.

There are stories that have passed from generation to generation about the making of songpyeon :

For the mum or grandma， will tell the grand daughter, " you will get a beautiful child if you makes the songpyeon in beautiful shape".

For the unmarried, they can find a beautiful wife or a handsome husband when the songpyeon they make has a beautiful shape......

One of the major foods prepared and eaten during the Chuseok holiday is songpyeon (송편; 松편),a Korean traditional rice cake which contains stuffing made with ingredients such as sesame seeds, black beans, mung beans, cinnamon, pine nut, walnut, chestnut, jujube, and honey. When making songpyeon, steaming them over a layer of pine-needles is critical. The word song in songpyeon means a pine tree in Korean. The pine needles not only contribute to songpyeon's aromatic fragrance, but also its beauty and taste

Songpyeon is also significant because of the meaning contained in its shape. Songpyeon's rice skin itself resembles the shape of a full moon, but once it wraps the stuffing, its shape resembles the half-moon. Since the Three Kingdoms era in Korean history, a Korean legend stated that these two shapes ruled the destinies of the two greatest rival kingdoms, Baekje and Silla. During the era of King Uija of Baekje, an encrypted phrase, "Baekje is full-moon and Silla is half moon" was found on a turtle's back and it predicted the fall of the Baekje and the rise of the Silla. The prophecy came true when Silla defeated Baekje in their war. Ever since, Koreans started to refer to a half-moon shape as the indicator of the bright future or victory. Therefore, during Chuseok, families gather together and eat half-moon-shaped Songpyeon under the full moon, wishing themselves a brighter future.Hangwa.(source:wikipedia)

Greentea songpyeon before steamed
待蒸的綠茶松糕。

Greentea songpyeon after steamed.
已蒸好的綠茶松糕

White songpyeon...
白色松糕。。

Use the natural colour of grape to make these songpyeon..
取自葡萄的天然色素而做的松糕。。

Pumpkin is also a good ingredient for making the yellow colour songpyeon..
南瓜也是做黄色松糕的好材料